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Sunday, December 16, 2012

A Drunken Christmas Escapade

As seen on Not Another Romance Blog, this is the scene I wrote for the Historical Christmas Eve Giveaway with two authors posting a scene from December 2nd to December 23rd. It was such fun participating in this, so I thought I'd share it with you here as well in case you missed it =)

Without further ado, I give you:

A Drunken Escapade on Christmas Eve

by Sophie Barnes

Lady
Amanda (daughter of the Marquess & Marchioness of Hawkwood) is
celebrating Christmas with her family at their country estate. Her
father’s best friend and his wife have been invited and are staying for
the holidays along with their son Peter (the Earl of Charington) who is
best friends with Amanda’s brother – the two have gone to Eton together
and later to Oxford.Amanda has
known Peter her whole life (thus the use of first names) and is
hopelessly in love with him. In attendance however, are also Amanda’s
aunt and uncle who have brought Amanda’s three annoyingly beautiful
cousins along. They are blonde and fair-skinned whereas Amanda has
inherited her mother’s darker Italian complexion and chestnut hair. To
make matters worse, the three cousins are all in love with Peter as well
and have been fawning over him all evening. Jealous and insecure over
his attentions toward them, Amanda finds it impossible to sleep.
Desperate for something to take her mind away from Peter, she slips out
of bed and heads downstairs in search of The History of the Decline and
Fall of the Roman Empire by Edmund Gibbon – a book that Amanda has
found most helpful on other sleepless nights.The scene opens with Amanda entering the library:Amanda set
her oil lamp carefully on the side table next to the door and adjusted
the flame, brightening the space with a yellow glow. With the fire
reduced to embers, the room was no longer as warm as it had been earlier
in the evening and Amanda found herself pulling her dressing gown tight
across her chest to ward off the chill. She glanced about, her gaze
settling on the boughs of evergreen that had been cut from a fir tree
earlier in the day and tied with crimson ribbons as per her mother’s
instructions.Taking a
deep breath, Amanda closed her eyes for a moment to enjoy the rich scent
of the pine. She loved Christmas and the atmosphere that accompanied it
when Rambly Hall was filled with people – she just hadn’t anticipated
how difficult it would be seeing Peter again.With a small
sigh and an admonishing shake of her head, she padded across the floor
to one of the bookcases, spotting the thick volume she sought almost
instantly. Reaching for a stool, she pulled it toward her and stepped up
onto it. It wasn’t quite enough though and she was forced to go up on
tiptoes, her right arm straining to reach the book she wanted. She
almost had it – she was certain of it – if she could only …The sound of
the library door opening caught her attention and she turned her head
on reflex, losing her balance in the process and falling straight back
until she landed on the floor with a loud thud. “Umph!”“Good God, Amanda. Are you all right?”Amanda
squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, praying that the man of her dreams
would leave it at that, walk away and forget he’d seen her in such a
humiliating sprawl. Of course this was too much to hope for and before
she knew it she felt Peter’s warm hands beneath her armpits as he pulled
her upright. “What were you thinking?” he asked, sounding as if he had
the urge to give her a good shake. “You could have been seriously
injured.”“I couldn’t
sleep so I came to get a book, though I don’t believe I would have
fallen if it hadn’t been for you,” she said, looking away from his
familiar and much too handsome face. “You startled me.”With a grunt
of marked disapproval, he guided her over to a chair, then stepped away
and went to the side table. “Would you care for a drink?” he asked,
raising what looked like a bottle of sherry.Amanda steeled herself. Enjoying the company of the one man she was trying not to
think about, wasn’t exactly the best plan. A drink would indeed be
welcome – especially after making such a complete cake of herself in his
presence, but she wanted something stronger, and besides, she was tired
of being so predictable. “Thank you, but I do believe I’d prefer a
brandy instead.” Peter raised an eyebrow and his lips parted as if he
meant to say something, so she hastily added, “It is Christmas, after
all.”“Very well,”
he agreed, abandoning the bottle of sherry in favor of a crystal
carafe. He poured two fingers of the amber liquid into a pair of
tumblers and then closed the distance between them so he could give her
one of them. Amanda took it without hesitation, thanking him as he took
the seat across from her. He frowned and asked, “Have you tried this
before?”Amanda shook
her head. No, she had not, but the thought of having him in her house
while her beautiful cousins showered him with attention – attention
which he had happily returned - had distraught her enough where she
would try anything as long as it dulled the ache in her heart.“It may burn
a little on the way down,” he warned with a crooked smile. “I advise
you to take small sips until you grow accustomed to it.” Raising his
glass toward her, he then added, “To friendship.”To friendship.Amanda
gritted her teeth as she followed his lead, allowing her glass to clink
against his. She nodded in acknowledgement of his toast, fearful that if
she spoke her words would lack conviction. To friendship indeed. She
wanted more than that, but would likely never have it. Irritation
flared inside of her and she forgot his words of warning and took a
large gulp of her drink. Oh dear God! Her
throat was on fire and she gasped, choked on her own breath and finally
coughed until tears sprang to her eyes and she thought her lungs might
burst.“Take another sip,” Peter said. He’d risen from his chair and had proceeded to slap her back.Where on earth was that gaping hole she hoped would appear and swallow her up? Another sip indeed. Was he mad?“I assure
you it will help,” he said, taking the glass that she’d somehow managed
to place on a table at the start of her attack and holding it toward
her. Tilting it slightly, she soon felt the strong drink biting at her
lips and she reluctantly opened her mouth, swallowing just a little.To her
astonishment, he was right. The drink that had disagreed with her only a
moment earlier, soothed her in its smaller quantity and she found
herself relaxing, enjoying the heat of it as it warmed her insides.
“Thank you,” she murmured, watching him carefully as he returned the
glass to the table and sat back down.He grinned.
“In all the years I’ve known you, I don’t recall seeing you imbibe in
alcohol even once – not even wine. That you would start now with brandy
…” He moved to get up once more. “Perhaps I should fetch a glass of
sherry for you after all.”“No!” The
word came out louder than she’d intended and was instantly met with a
raised eyebrow. She swallowed hard to get herself under some measure of
control. When she’d seen him last, it had been at her coming out ball.
He had danced with her of course, but had not remained at the ball long
enough to see her drink anything other than the glass of lemonade he’d
offered her before making a hasty departure.The fact
that he still thought her a child, struck her with such force that she
took her glass and tossed back the remainder of the brandy, wincing only
slightly this time. Meeting Peter’s shocked gaze and taking a great
deal of pleasure unsettling him, she smiled and said, “I do believe I’m
learning to handle my liquor. Would you please be so kind as to give me a
re-fill?”Peter looked around, wary. “I don’t believe that’s a good idea, Amanda. I think you’ve had quite enough.”“Nonsense,”
she said, waving her hand to dismiss his concerns. She was starting to
feel much better and idly wondered if it had anything to do with the
brandy. Probably not. She’d
heard of how silly people became when foxed. She didn’t feel like that
in the least. Quite the opposite really – she felt confident and
carefree.Seeing that
he wasn’t about to oblige her, she got up and went to the sideboard
herself, pausing only once along the way when an overwhelming feeling of
faintness made her worry about losing her footing - yet again. That
simply wouldn’t do and she shook it away, reaching her destination
without incident.Peter
watched her go, noticing the exact moment when she stopped to steady
herself. What the devil had come over her? He’d known her since she was
in swaddling clothes and getting foxed in the middle of the night behind
closed doors and in the company of a bachelor no less, was completely
out of character for her. She was demure and innocent – the kid sister
of his best friend – yet here she was courting trouble. He groaned,
knowing he must do something to stop her from pouring herself another
glass. If her brother or, heaven forbid, her father were to happen upon
them like this he’d surely find himself drawn and quartered. “Amanda,
stop this at once,” he said, aiming for a note of authority.“Or what?” she asked, her fingers already curled around the neck of the carafe.“Or I shall
have no other choice but to come over there and remove the carafe from
you personally.” Was that really the best he could do? Even she looked
skeptical as she offered him a sly smile and proceeded to pour. That did
it – he had to put an end to this farce by acting upon his threat. He
rose, and in three easy strides he was before her. “May I please have
your glass?”With a small
frown she leaned sideways and looked past him. “Oh dear,” she then
remarked. “It appears as though one of Mama’s decorations has unhinged
itself from the ceiling.”He
automatically turned to look, not recognizing the trap she’d set for him
before it was too late. When he looked back at her, he wasn’t the least
bit surprised to discover that she’d already tossed back the contents
of her glass. Frustrated and annoyed, yes, but not surprised. He had to
hand it to her though – she did appear to have gotten quite good at
handling her drink. Still, he would not stand for this insanity a moment
longer. She was a genteel lady of breeding after all and this lapse in
judgment on her part was really too much. “I cannot begin to imagine
what might have brought this on, Amanda. You’re acting like a child and
you’d do well to stop it this instant.”Her eyebrows snapped together and he saw something then – something in her eyes that spoke of both sadness and longing. “I am not a
child, Peter.” Her words surprised him in their harsh annunciation and
he found himself leaning back as if she’d struck him. “I am eighteen
years of age – old enough to marry and bare children if that is what I
choose to do.”It was his
turn to feel affronted. He clenched and unclenched his hands, staring
silently back at her before he turned away in search of his own glass.
He needed that brandy. Now.Finishing
off its contents, he gave her a sideways glance. She was still looking
at him as if he were the very devil incarnate, but her words … Christ.
As if he hadn’t noticed that she was no longer the child he’d given
piggyback rides to years ago. He’d been at her coming out ball and had
danced with her because after all, that was the polite thing to do. As
soon as the dance was over he’d found her a glass of lemonade and fled.
He was not supposed to notice how good she felt beneath his touch as
he’d guided her in a simple country dance, nor was he meant to
appreciate the scent of her or to wonder … But God help him he’d
wondered – repeatedly – ever since that night. Consequently he’d stayed
away until now.He expelled a
heavy breath. He could never lay a hand on her unless he planned to
make her his wife, but was that something that she would
want? “Amanda, I …” he began, but his words faltered with the
uncertainty of what he should say and instead he just stood there in the
silence that followed, staring back at her.Laying
himself bare before her like this could ruin everything – his friendship
with her brother as well as that between their parents. It was a
tremendous risk to take when he wasn’t even certain of how she might
respond, so he kept quiet instead, thinking of how to proceed when she
suddenly laughed.“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you speechless before,” she said, pouring more brandy into her glass and taking another sip.Her skin had
grown flushed and he could tell by the slur of her words that the
alcohol was taking effect. She wasn’t herself, and rather than standing
about talking, he ought to do the responsible thing and get her to bed.
By herself of course, not with him – though the thought did tempt him.
He pushed it aside. “You’ve never spoken to me about marriage or
children before,” he said.She
chuckled. “No, I suppose not.” Heading back toward her chair, she swayed
a little, regained her balance and plopped down onto the seat. She
leaned back and said. “Then again, what reason would I have to discuss
such matters with you? My father will eventually see to it that I marry a
respectable gentleman. You needn’t concern yourself on that score.”Was she
mocking him? He wasn’t certain, though she did sound annoyed. He was
getting rather annoyed himself thinking of her in the arms of some
faceless man.“Besides,” she continued. “You are busy enough right now. I wonder which of them you’ll pick.”Her comment threw him completely. “I beg your pardon?”“You didn’t
think I’d notice your interest in my cousins?” There was no mistaking
the bitterness in her tone this time, and he found himself leaning
forward with interest. “They’re truly stunning with their blonde hair
and alabaster skin. I cannot fault you for being fascinated.”“The drink
has loosened your tongue too much, Amanda,” he said, irritated that she
would think he gave a damn about three women who were no different than
all the rest. “You speak without thinking.”“They like
you too, you know,” she added, not heeding his warning in the slightest.
He was about to reprimand her again and suggest she get herself
upstairs to bed before she said anything more, when a sad smile claimed
her lips and she whispered beneath her breath, “Though not nearly as
much as I.”Peter stood
for a moment frozen and unable to move. Hell, he could barely breathe,
much less focus on his thoughts. Had he heard her right? He believed so
and somehow found himself moving toward her – the woman he’d come to
realize he wanted by his side forever, who’d just confessed to liking
him quite a lot, even though it had taken a great deal of brandy for her
to pluck up the courage to say so. “Would you mind repeating that?” he
asked.Her eyes met
his, focused, and she suddenly leapt out of her seat, her hand clasped
across her mouth as she stepped away from him. “It was nothing,” she
gasped from behind her hand, her eyes darting toward the door as if
calculating her chance of escape.She
obviously hadn’t realized she’d spoken her words aloud, or perhaps she
just hadn’t counted on him hearing her. Whatever the case, she wasn’t
deep enough in her cups not to know that her words had changed
everything between them. There was no going back now.“It
certainly wasn’t nothing,” he said, following her as she edged her way
along one of the bookcases until she’d backed herself into a corner.She shook
her head. “Of course it was. I only meant that they don’t know you as
well as I do. After all, I’ve known you forever and I … I …” She had
nowhere to go with him now standing before her, blocking her only exit.Reaching out, he gently brushed her cheek with his fingers. “I have no interest in your cousins, Amanda.”“You … you don’t?” Her eyes were wide with confusion. “But I thought—”“Yes, you
did, but you were mistaken.” His fingers traced the delicate structure
of her jawline, leaving a deep blush in their wake. “You see, the thing
of it is, Amanda, that there is only one woman I care for, except I
dared not hope that she might care for me – until now. Do you care for
me, Amanda?”He saw the
longing in her eyes as realization dawned, and knew she’d respond in the
affirmative before she nodded her answer. As soon as she did so
however, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God, for I
don’t believe I could have born it if you didn’t.” And then he did what
he’d wanted to do for so long. He lowered his mouth over hers and kissed
her, chasing away whatever doubts she might have left that he would
ever want someone else.Her lips
parted and he was there, coaxing her and tasting her until she gasped
for breath. “I will speak to your father tomorrow,” he promised and her
face lit up with a dazzling smile.“This is indeed the best Christmas ever,” she said, leaning back into him for yet another smoldering kiss.“I couldn’t agree more,” he said.She suddenly
frowned. “I hope I won’t have forgotten about all of this in the
morning. After all, I did have my fair share of brandy.”Peter
grinned. “That you did.” He placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead.
“Fear not though – I shall leave you a note to remind you of all that
has transpired.”Amanda woke
the following morning, groaning in response to the pounding headache
that threatened to split her skull in two. She rolled onto her side and
opened her eyes to find a crisp piece of paper perched on her bedside
table. Picking it up, she frowned, read it, and finally leapt from her
bed in a state of total and utter bliss. She hadn’t forgotten, but his
words made her heart sing with joy:

In case you fail to recall
last night’s events, allow me tell you that I love you, Amanda, that I
have always loved you, and that I will never cease loving you. I hope
you will do me the very great honor of marrying me, though it goes
without saying that a formal proposal is in order. After all, you
deserve the very best.